HBA-MSH C.S.H.B. 1471 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 1471 By: Turner, Bob Public Safety 4/6/2001 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Texas emergency call box program was initiated in 1993 in five roadway sections in four counties. The program consists of a system of emergency telephone call boxes (system) which are designed to enable users of certain state highways to request emergency and nonemergency response services. Currently, the Texas Department of Transportation is responsible for administering the system and is prohibited from using state highway funds for the system. Therefore, the system relies upon public and private entities to pay all direct and indirect costs for the system. C.S.H.B. 1471 transfers responsibility for the system to the Commission on State Emergency Communications, authorizes the commission to use money from the general revenue fund for the system, and modifies the system to cover certain United States and interstate highways. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 1471 amends the Health and Safety Code to transfer all the powers and responsibilities for the emergency call box system (system) from the Texas Department of Transportation to the Commission on State Emergency Communications (commission). The bill authorizes the commission to only use money deposited to the credit of the general revenue fund to make an expenditure for the system. The bill requires the commission to provide for the installation, operation, and maintenance of the system along interstate highways and United States highways located in counties with a population of 20,000 or less. The bill requires the commission to implement the system in accordance with the General Appropriations Act, and prohibits the use of revenue derived from fees, taxes, or other charges imposed in connection with the sale or provision of services by means of a landline or wireless communication infrastructure for the implementation of the system. The bill requires the commission to implement the system in each area of the state that has cellular phone coverage. The bill requires the commission to provide oversight and coordination of the system. The bill requires the commission to file annual reports regarding the system with the legislature and the Legislative Budget Board. The bill provides that the system is subject to the Texas Sunset Act and expires on September 1, 2011. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 1471 differs from the original by amending the Health and Safety Code rather than the Transportation Code, and transferring all the powers and responsibilities for the emergency call box system (system) from the Texas Department of Transportation to the Commission on State Emergency Communications (commission). The substitute requires the commission to install the system along interstate highways and United States highways located in counties with a population of 20,000 or less rather than along highways that are apart of the state highway system. The substitute sets forth new provisions relating to the funding of the system and repeals provisions of the Transportation Code regarding the system.